metal allergy

loubian

Hi everyone,

Just looking to know if anyone knows the typical sort of metal that is used for piercings in Dublin? I've had several piercings-nose, translobe (my favourite), top of my ear and a fourth lobe piercing. They have all got infected and I've had to take them out. No matter how anal I am about cleaning them, they always end up swollen and sore. Does anyone know if you can ask for anti allergenic metal or is the metal they use like that already? Am I just one of those people who can't have piercings? Thing is my lobes are pierced three times n I've no real problems with them.. The earings I use are from claires accessories!!! Any advice would be great I miss my piercings and would love to get them back!

Arawn

surical grade stuff, so its not the metal

RhoDoDenDron

Claire's Accessories will NOT use appropriate metals. While you may be more allergic to cheap materials than most people, you are certainly still pierce-able.

If you're able to get in to Dublin city centre, go to either Connected Ink (templebar), Zulu Tattoo (behind Jervis), Wildcat Ink (Jervis st and Stephen's Green) or Snakebite (Abbey street).

All these studios will pierce you with titanium, which is 100% hypo-allergenic. They will also make sure you're pierced in the safest way possible, to give you the best chance at healing and having a good piercing.

Best of luck!

Arawn

should of read whole thing, lol at buying **** in claires

loubian

I've gone to wildcat and dublin ink n other legit places, all the piercings I've got there have got infected even though i cleaned them all the time. I'd get blood blisters beside the entry. The earrings I wear now from claires have never caused me bother. It's not the cheap stuff from claires I'm allergic to, it's the stuff from the studios.

Soundman

Could be that you have a nickel allergy and that the nickel content in the surgical steel bars/rings/whatever is being used is causing inflammation which may in turn result in infection.

Soundman

Some other materials that you might like to investigate. Not all piercers would keep these in stock but might be able to do a special order for you depending on if you have an allergy or what else might be causing the infection/rejection...

Surgical Steel is made of a variety of alloys. Many of them are used for body jewelry, but only a few specific grades are proven biocompatible: steel that is ASTM F-138 compliant or ISO 5832-1 compliant; ISO 10993-(6,10, or 11) compliant. [Note: The EEC Nickel Directive is a regulation that requires a low rate of nickel release for all materials used for costume or fine jewelry, belt buckles, watches, or other metallic accessories with direct skin contact. It does not specify nor prove that a material is safe to wear in the body; therefore, compliance with this directive alone is not sufficient for meeting the APP initial jewelry standards.]


Titanium is a lightweight metal that is ideal for people with concerns about nickel sensitivity. This material can be anodized to create jewelry of different colors without affecting the safety. Look for implant certified titanium (Ti6Al4V ELI) that is ASTM F-136 compliant or ISO 5832-3 compliant, or commercially pure titanium that is ASTM F-67 compliant.


Niobium has been widely used by piercers with good results for many years. It is very similar to titanium, but does not have an implant-grade designation. Like titanium, niobium can be anodized to produce different colors. (And, unlike titanium, it can be heat treated black.) Anodized niobium and titanium may fade due to body chemistry or when worn in friction-prone areas, but this is not harmful.


Gold (yellow or white) is appropriate for initial piercings if it is 14k or higher, nickel-free, and alloyed for biocompatibility. Gold higher than 18k is too soft for body jewelry because it can easily be scratched or nicked. Gold plated, gold-filled, or gold overlay/vermeil jewelry is not acceptable for fresh piercings. All of these involve coating a base metal with a layer of gold. The gold surface (which is very thin—measured in millionths of an inch) can wear or chip off.


Platinum is a heavy precious metal that is extremely inert and excellent for wear in body piercings. However, body jewelry in this material is rare and very expensive due to the high cost of the material and greater difficulty in manufacturing jewelry from it.


Biocompatible polymers (plastics) including Tygon® Medical Surgical Tubing S-50HL or S-54HL, or PTFE (Teflon®), are considered suitable for new piercings. Tygon is a bio-compatible medical tubing that is highly flexible. It should be changed every few months as it stiffens and discolors from extended wear. PTFE, a white plastic, is widely accepted within the industry. Some polymers are marketed specifically for piercings in an array of colors and shapes. These may be worn as a substitute for metal jewelry. With new polymer products coming into the marketplace, check that the product you are purchasing, if not listed above, is USP VI compliant. These can be sterilized in an autoclave.


Glass—Fused quartz glass, lead-free borosilicate, and lead-free soda-lime glass are inert and considered safe for initial piercings. They can also be sterilized in an autoclave.

Ms. Koi

I've been told I might be allergic to the piercing tool rather than the jewellery. Every piercing gets infected and sore. Tragus was worst, whole face blew up with swelling

Soundman

Sounds like you have a nickel allergy so, kellief. See if the piercers have a different option they can use for piercing you.

Ms. Koi

Soundman wrote: »

Sounds like you have a nickel allergy so, kellief. See if the piercers have a different option they can use for piercing you.

Sounds good! Thanks!